Safe and Effective Care Environment

Answer

Safe and Effective Care Environment

Introduction

A majority of adolescents live and grow up in institutions and settings which are incapable of providing them with adequate guidance and support for positive development (Chapman & Whittam, 2019). Certain policies have the potential to transform these settings and institutions to be conducive for adolescent development but unfortunately such policies are often neglected. This has created a critical need for increased support of the basic and major settings of adolescent life. The most important institutions in an adolescent’s life are schools, health, training and employment (Chapman & Whittam, 2019). Effective responses are therefore needed to push the boundaries of these existing systems as well as encourage inter-institutional collaboration so that more adolescents with specialized problems can have access to the care they need. Specialized service programs may be needed to fill the response gaps that experienced by adolescents and their family. This paper discusses creating a safe and effective care environment for adolescents in the community as well as health care personnel.

            For this program to succeed, efforts were made to support and strengthen families in the community as a way of creating a safer environment for adolescents to thrive. The main objective was to empower parents and the community as a whole to enhance their capability to nurture productive adolescents. Interagency collaboration helped to address he academic, emotional, recreational and vocational issues among adolescents in the community wherein individuals received one-on-one counselling as well as had access to objective interaction with their peers.

            One of the most crucial resources when assisting adolescents is family.  It is crucial to pay close attention to the families and neighborhoods that these adolescents experience daily. Change requires the contribution of both the adolescents and the adults around them as they are best placed to articulate their concerns and interests (Chapman & Whittam, 2019). Parents must be supported and empowered to support their children. Family support is most effective when directed where it is most needed- low-income households. Parents from such households typically suffer from emotional distress which, if not addressed adequately, can negatively affect the development of their children. These parents received education around parenting as well as income generation. Parent education not only focused on caregiving and parenting skills but also employment and activities for personal development. With time, it was easy to note the improved emotional health of most parents as well as their wider social networks within the community.

            Since most family support programs target middle-class families, it was important to bring counselling to the family as opposed to the norm which is classroom settings. The effectiveness of this approach lies in the fact that it goes beyond the individual needs of the adolescent and tries to factor the needs of the parent as well. Many parents suffer from stress due to their inability to pay for the care services that their children may need (Lavallee et.al., 2016). Family support programs including direct services, workshops, counseling, peer group meetings and mentoring are helpful in providing parents with an avenue to solve everyday problems such as communication, monitoring and guidance which are common with adolescents.

            The second resource is neighborhood. Strengthening families is more effective when it is linked with rebuilding neighborhoods. For sustainable change to be achieved, the whole community must be willing to be part of the process by investing their time and resources (Chapman & Whittam, 2019). Rebuilding neighborhoods requires several things. For instance, the community must be organized and motivated to seek development. Collaboration is also key. Next, it is important to develop and implement relevant community-based programs. Finally, families must be involved in the governance of schools. Once these boxes are checked, it is possible to reconstruct institutional, financial and political forces in the community.

            Health services are another critical resources. Hospitals are typically created to provide treatment for physical and pathological conditions but such settings are not conducive for the comprehensive care needed by adolescents- especially those from low-income families. This gap is best filled by school-based and community-based centers supported by traditional hospitals. Such centers are excellent in identifying and addressing substance use, depression and stress among adolescents however short-term. Community-based centers are just as effective except they have a wider reach- they provide care even to adolescents who are not in school unlike school-based centers. They also offer room for more creative interventions.

            Education is also an important resource in adolescent development. Adolescents spend a lot of their time in school hence the need to emphasize basic skills to prepare young people for the labor market. Everyone must be held accountable; from the students and parents to the teachers and school heads. Schools are now involving parents in their general governance (Lavallee et.al., 2016). Complementing traditional learning with experiental learning has helped to ensure that learning is relevant to the individual needs and interests of a student.

            Based on the above knowledge, the most effective safety initiative for the community includes collaborative outreach among institutions in the community such as schools, health centers and youth centers. In addition, services targeting the young people must be consolidated into comprehensive multi-service settings so that they have multiple places to run to for assistance. Finally, support centers must modify working hours so that young people have access to help even after school.

            To achieve the desired safety for the adolescents in the community, interdisciplinary collaboration is crucial (Reeves, 2016). Social workers are responsible for outreach to young people through planning of activities that may be of interest to them. Counsellors are needed to create a safe and confidential environment for young people to share their challenges. Counsellors are also in a position to identify cases that need nursing care. Physicians have the responsibility of looking into and providing medical interventions for adolescents who are found to suffer from physical or pathological conditions. Knowing such a team would enhance my nursing practice because it would increase my reach to individuals who need care. I would also have the right people to assist in non-nursing roles.

Conclusion

            I had one-on-one sessions with clients where I asked questions about self-care and safety. Clients were given room to express their understanding of these two terms after which I explained with examples. I am satisfied with my actions and recommendations during my practicum and feel that I handled it as best as I could. The community resources recommended to clients were education, family support, access to healthcare and neighborhood rebuilding because these would be most effective in achieving sustainable change.